Sartell V18 I47

Reaching Everybody!
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
St. Joseph Newsleader
St. Joseph, MN 56374
Permit No. 21
ECRWSS
Postal Customer
Newsleader
Sartell
Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
Volume 18, Issue 47
Est. 1995
Town Crier
Candle-lighting ceremony
remembers deceased children
Parents, siblings and grandparents of children who have died are
invited to attend a candle lighting ceremony from 6:30-8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 8 at Living Waters
Lutheran Church, 1911 4th Ave.
N., Sauk Rapids. Loved ones may
bring a single framed photo of
their child for display if they wish.
Special music, readings, time for
sharing reflections and memories
will be part of the evening as well.
Out of respect for the newly grieving and in keeping with the reverent nature of the event, please
consider finding alternative care
for younger family members.
Candle lighting will begin at 7
p.m. traveling through each time
zone illuminating the globe in a
24-hour wave of light.
For more information, call
the Living Waters church office
at 320-255-1135 or visit www.
thenewsleaders.com and click on
Criers.
Wrap gifts
to benefit animals
The Tri-County Humane Society is looking for volunteers to
staff gift wrapping shifts at Crossroads Center (near Target) during
mall hours. This is a fundraiser to
benefit animals at the Tri-County
Humane Society. You need not be
a current volunteer to help. For
more information on this or other
United Way volunteer opportunities, visit www.thenewsleaders.
com and click on Criers.
Hot off the press
If you’d like to receive the
Newsleader hot off the press, send
us your email address and we’ll
notify you with a link when our
website is updated, which is typically by noon a day in advance
of the print edition. Send your
email to news@thenewsleaders.
com and you should start receiving your reminder at that address
within a week. Notify us otherwise.
Harpist plays Dec. 4
Enjoy a concert of harp music by harpist Andrea Stern from
2-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 at
the Al Ringsmuth Public Library,
253 N. 5th Ave., Waite Park. Stern
has been a professional performing artist for more than two decades performing with symphonies throughout the world, and
she has performed as principal
harpist for the Minnesota Opera.
Her delightful music puts the audience in the holiday mood.
For additional criers, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
Postal
Patron
Debate: Should chickens be allowed in backyards?
by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Be it resolved: Chickens
should be able to roost in
residential areas.
That assertion was the
topic of a lively, engaging debate Nov. 20 in the
Sartell City Hall chambers, attended by about
70 people. It was the first
of a planned series of debates organized by local
residents, some of whom
have connections to the
College of St. Benedict
and St. John’s University.
Moderator Patty Candela of Sartell said the debates are planned to foster
a community engagement
with issues that could directly affect Sartell residents. In the debates, she
said, residents can meet
to listen to and discuss
issues in a direct, polite
way.
Before the debate, as
audience members arrived at city hall, each
was given two pennies.
On a table inside the entrance were three plastic
trays. One was marked in
favor of allowing chickens in yards, another was
marked opposed to chickens in yards, the third was
marked undecided. Each
person was invited to put
one of the two pennies
into a bin coinciding with
his or her opinion before
the debate.
An hour later, after
the debate was finished,
those same trays were
passed around through
the audience members
who were asked to put
the other penny into the
tray that coincides with
their opinions after hearing the debate. The point
of the “two-cents worth”
exercise was to determine
how many minds were
changed among the listeners during the debating
process.
Those who debated the
pro side of the “chicken”
question were Jean Lavigne, an environmental-
photo by Dennis Dalman
Immediately following the debate, a woman passes a tray for which people
in the audience toss pennies if they agree or disagree with one side or the
other in the debate. It’s a way the audience can add their “two-cents worth”
to the issue.
science professor at CSB/SJU, and Matt
Lindstrom, a political-science professor
at CSB/SJU. Debating the con side
were Lisa Schreifels, director of health
for the City of St. Cloud, and King
Banaian an economics professor at St.
Cloud State University, radio personality and former state representative.
Lindstrom and Schreifels are Sartell
Debate • page 4
Sabre swim team places third at state
The Sartell Sabre girls swimming-diving team placed third
in the Class A state competition
last week.
For the past five years, the
team has done exceedingly well
in state competition. In 2009
and 2011, the girls won first at
state. In 2012, they earned second place. This year was just
one of many third-place finishes, the others being in 1999,
2001, 2008 and 2010.
Visitation won the state
Class A meet with 300 points.
Mankato West was second with
168 points. Sartell earned 161
points. There were 39 teams
competing for the Class A
state title this season, including teams in this area from St.
Cloud Apollo, Cold Spring Rocori, Sauk Rapids and Becker.
None of the Sartell divers
qualified for the finals.
The Sartell team’s outstanding performances at the state
meet include the following:
400-yard freestyle relay, third
place, team members Anna
Ellis, Gaby Hagen, Marena
Kouba and Paige Pawlenty,
3:37.37; 200-yard freestyle relay, fourth place, team members Hagen, Lindsey Martens,
Pawlenty and Jennifer Thomp-
son, 1:38.33; 100-yard backstroke, second place: Ellis,
57:13. seventh place: Kouba,
1:00:25; 200-yard freestyle, 11th
place, Pawlenty, 1:59.78; 200yard individual medley, 13th
place, Hagen, 2:16.38; 100-yard
butterfly, 13th place, Hagen,
1:00.22; 100-yard freestyle, seventh place, Thompson,53:52.8;
and 100-yard breaststroke, 10th
place, Martens, 1:07.55.
Artist paints
Bible in action
by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
People will have a
chance to see a Bible story
“come alive” in the form
of a colorful painting in
action when Paul Oman
presents “Drawn to the
Word” three times at Celebration Lutheran Church
in Sartell.
Everyone is welcome to
attend the free program,
which will take place at
contributed photo
Painter Paul Oman, who lives in Deer Park, Wis. paints this landscape 6:30 p.m. on three consecin the open air in Door County, Wis. Oman excels in a number of art utive Wednesdays: Dec. 4,
11 and 18.
genres, including landscapes and religious themes from the Bible.
www.thenewsleaders.com
Oman, who hails from
Deer Park, Wis., is a former
teacher and pastor who is
now a full-time freelance
watercolor and acrylic
artist. For his “Drawn
to the Word” events,
he travels to churches,
schools and other organizations throughout the
Upper Midwest where he
displays his expertise in
painting. During “Drawn
to the Word” events, people ask him to evoke a
Bible story through his
watercolor painting on a
Artist • page 3
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
2
If any readers have tips concerning crimes, they should call
the Sartell Police Department at
251-8186 or Tri-County Crime
Stoppers at 255-1301 or access its
tip site at www.tricountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers
rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of those responsible for
crimes.
Nov. 13
8:27 a.m. Traffic stop. CR 1.
After checking a vehicle’s registration, it was found the driver’s license was canceled. There was an
Blotter
odor of alcohol coming from the
driver. After passing field sobriety
testing, the driver was issued citation for driving after cancellation,
no proof of insurance and open
container. The vehicle was left
parked and driver was released to
a valid driver.
Pebble Creek Drive. A report was
made regarding a suspicious vehicle arriving late at night, a young
male walking down the sidewalk
and returning for his vehicle in
the morning. It was found he was
visiting his girlfriend, who lived in
the area. The parents were notified.
Nov. 14
8:38 a.m. Arrest warrant. Amber Avenue S. An arrest warrant
was issued for an adult female.
She was placed under arrest and
transported to Stearns County Jail
without incident.
1:11 p.m. Suspicious vehicle.
Nov. 15
9:04 a.m. Arrest warrant. Amber Avenue S. An arrest warrant
was issued for an adult female.
She was placed under arrest and
transported to Stearns County Jail
without incident.
7:59 p.m. Driving complaint.
Heritage Road. A complaint was
made regarding an adult male driving the wrong direction down the
road. Officers arrived and found
the male was suffering from a
medical condition. He was transported to the St. Cloud Hospital
without incident.
Laura Caviani Trio
CD Release Concert
Featuring
Gordy Johnson on Bass • Dave Schmalenberger on Drums
Sunday, dec. 8 • 4 p.m.
Free-will offering • Reception to follow
Please visit www.lauracaviani.com for information on upcoming events, recordings and to say hello!
First United Methodist ChUrCh oF the st. CloUd region
Open Hearts • Open Minds • Open dOOrs
1107 Pinecone Road S. • Sartell, MN 56377
1/2 mile north of Coborn’s Superstore, west side of Pinecone Road S.
(320) 251-0804 • www.fumcscr.org
Sartell area Youth BaSketBall aSSociation
SAYBA Inhouse Basketball
Boys and Girls Grades K-4
Saturdays, Dec. 7 & 14
Jan. 4, 11 & 25
Feb. 1
Sartell Middle School
$40 online by Dec. 3
$50 at door on first day
Find times for each grade level and online registration at www.saybabball.org
Nov. 16
6:04 p.m. Traffic stop. Second
Street S. After checking a vehicle’s
registration, it was found the driver
had a suspended license. The driver stated she thought she fixed her
license. She was issued a citation
and released to a valid driver.
11:06 p.m. Traffic stop. First
Street NE. After checking a vehicle’s registration, it was found
the driver had a revoked license.
The driver stated he was unaware
of his driving status and was unable to provide proof of insurance.
He was issued a citation for both
violations.
Nov. 17
12:41 p.m. Suspicious activity.
CR 120. A report was made regarding two males who appeared
to be attempting to hotwire a car
in a parking lot. Officers arrived
and spoke with a male who stated
the vehicle belonged to his mother.
Officers contacted the mother to
verify the information. The male
was warned not to drive the vehicle, as he had a suspended license.
Nov. 18
10:21 p.m. Suspicious vehicle.
12th Avenue S. A report was made
regarding a suspicious vehicle
parked by an unoccupied house.
An officer arrived and spoke with
the registered owner who stated he
was working on the home.
9:41 p.m. Domestic. First Street
NE. A report was made regarding a
male and female yelling and doors
slamming. Officers arrived and
spoke to both parties, who stated it
was only verbal. The male left the
residence to calm down.
People
Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
contributed photo
Four Sartell-St. Stephen teachers were honored for excellence
at the 22nd annual “Leaders in Educational Excellence Awards
Ceremony” Oct. 30 at the River’s Edge Convention Center in
St. Cloud. The four teachers and awards presenters are (left to
right) Nikki Perius, second-grade teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary School; Pat Cicharz, special-education teacher at Sartell
Middle School; Bob Cavanna, executive director of Resource
Training and Solutions; Angie Heckman, Sartell High School
art teacher and yearbook advisor; Tim Schreiber, kindergarten
teacher at Pine Meadow Elementary School; and Mike Spanier,
interim superintendent for the Sartell-St. Stephen School District.
Four Sartell-St. Stephen and then choose a legacy they
teachers were honored for excel- would like to leave.
“Life is a journey,” he said.
lence Oct. 30 at the 22nd annual
“Leaders in Educational Excel- “Make it count!”
Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Minnelence Awards Ceremony.”
Nearly 500 people attended the sota’s commissioner of education,
banquet, which took place at the was invited to the banquet but was
River’s Edge Convention Center unable to attend. She did send a
in St. Cloud, where 151 teachers message, however, which read:
“Congratulations to the educafrom throughout the state were
honored with awards signed by tors who are being honored toGov. Mark Dayton. Since the night for your immeasurable conawards ceremony began 22 years tributions to our children. It is
ago, 3,192 educators in the state always a pleasure to acknowledge
the exceptional achievements of
have been honored.
The Sartell recipients were Pat Minnesota educators. Your sucCicharz, special-education teach- cess with students and staff at
er at Sartell Middle School; Angie your schools and in your districts
Heckman, Sartell High School is nothing short of inspiring. We
art teacher and yearbook advi- need to celebrate and replicate
sor; Nikki Perius, second-grade your hard work, which is why I
teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary encourage you all to keep workSchool; and Tim Schreiber, kin- ing creatively with your students
dergarten teacher at Pine Mead- and share your successes with
ow Elementary School. They had your colleagues. Best wishes for
been nominated by their peers in a well-earned celebration tonight
and thank you for all the work you
the schools.
Teachers honored at the ban- do for the children of Minnesota.”
The LEEA event was sponquet included teachers from public, private, parochial and charter sored by many school districts,
schools from 41 school districts Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Horace Mann Agency and Resource
and agencies.
The keynote speaker was Bob Training and Solutions, based in
Upgren, a leadership trainer from Sartell. The banquet was coordiBismarck, N.D. who created a nated by Sandra Cordie of Sartell,
huge chalk drawing and delivered who is director of educational proa video message challenging the grams for Resource Training and
audience to think about their lives Solutions.
Place of Hope holiday gift needs
Place of Hope is in need of
donations for the holiday season.
Needs include gift cards; winter
hats, coats and mittens; new
gifts for children to give to their
parents and siblings; backpacks;
personal-care items; sponsors for
Adopt a Family for Hope; food
for meals served on site; $10 gift
cards for food, diapers and teen
gifts. Contact Pastor Carol, Place
of Hope, at 320-203-7881.
Published each Friday by Von Meyer Publishing Inc.
Newstands
Country Store and Pharmacy
Holiday on Riverside Drive
Holiday on 7th Street N
House of Pizza
JM Speedstop
Little Dukes on Pinecone
Sartell City Hall
Sartell-St. Stephen
School District Offices
Walgreens
www.thenewsleaders.com
Publisher/Owner
Janelle Von Pinnon
Contributing Writer
Cori Hilsgen
Editor
Dennis Dalman
Design/Layout
Tara Wiese
Advertising
Sales Assistant
Kathryn Bjorke
Delivery
Glen Lauer
P.O. Box 324 • 32 1st Ave. N.W. • St. Joseph, Minn. 56374
Phone (320) 363-7741 • Fax (320) 363-4195 • E-mail address: news@thenewsleaders.com
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ST. JOSEPH NEWSLEADER, P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374.
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
contributed photo
This painting, entitled “Along the Shores of Galilee,”
is just one example of the many art works created by
Paul Oman during his “Drawn to the Word” events. He
will paint during three sessions at Celebration Lutheran
Church at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 11 and 18. The free programs
are open to all people.
Artist
from front page
big (5-foot x 7-foot) blank artist’s
canvas. Audience members are always astonished at how Oman, in
no time at all, transforms his white
Apartments
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touching lives and inspiring
faith through the creative
process of the visual arts.
From a very early age,
Oman was aware he had
a knack for art. In grade
school in Wisconsin, he
won a prestigious prize
and was given an award
by the state’s governor. He
now shares his art gift with
others by teaching many
workshops and visits to
demonstrate his painting at
schools, retreats, conventions and churches. He also
offers an anti-bullying program for which he uses his
art works.
canvas into the shapes and
images of a story from the
Bible.
It’s the first time Oman
will present “Drawn to the
Word” at Celebration Lutheran Church. He is in
demand at churches far and
wide. The people at Celebration heard of his program through good wordof-mouth and decided to
invite him.
“My gift to others is to
inspire life-changing emotion by sharing visual experiences through painting,”
Oman said. “My hope is to
bring the Bible story to life,
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Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
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Debate
from front page
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Purchase a gift card between
Nov. 25 & Dec. 31, 2013
and we will reward you with
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from your total gift card purchase
in the form of a promotional gift card!
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11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday & Saturday
320-363-4534
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residents.
The debate question about
chickens has been a sometimeshot topic in the news for years.
Some cities, including New York
City and some areas of the Twin
Cities, now allow hobby chickens in some backyard urban
areas. The issue has also been
discussed in recent years at citycouncil meetings in the greater
St. Cloud area.
The following are brief paraphrased summaries of points
made by each debating member:
Introductory remarks:
Lindstrom: People have a
right to keep chickens in their
yards as a local food source
and as a means of sustainability. Allowing chickens does not
mean everyone is going to do
it. In fact, very few will. It does
not mean there will be roosters crowing, annoying people in
the morning. It does not mean
chickens will be running wild,
causing havoc. The sky will not
fall. Lots of cities, including major ones, allow it. There will be
easy rules and laws covering the
right to have chickens in yards.
Problems can easily be dealt
with as part of a learning curve.
Politicians and others are offering no choice in the matter. It’s
time opponents quit resorting to
fear-based arguments.
Banaian: Liberty is always a
good goal. However, allowing
chickens to be raised in urban
areas can erode both liberty
and civility in neighborhoods
and cause friction among people. Noise, smell and sanitation
issues could surface as problems. Some neighbors will not
like chickens next door, and
studies have shown it can lead
to lack of respect and fights
among neighbors. It can also
cause property values to decline,
making it harder for affected
neighbors to sell their homes.
In addition, city councils can
spend too much time and effort
on chicken-in-yard issues, as
has been shown in some cities,
such as Fergus Falls. The best
solution is to support local farmers’ markets for healthy, quality
food items, including eggs and
chicken meat.
Lavigne: Many of her students and other younger people
have become estranged from
their food sources to the point
Winter Extravaganza
Sunday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
St. Stephen City Hall • 2 6th Ave SE
St. Stephen Fire & Rescue will bring Santa
to City Hall for children to visit with!
Cocoa • Cookies • Crafts!
In lieu of admission, please bring a new,
unwrapped toy to donate to the Giving Tree.
Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
where some have never seen
a live chicken on a farm or in
a market. Having chickens in
an urban environment is one
good way to put people in touch
with food sources as a means
of education and as a way to
promote health. The popularity of farmers’ markets shows
people are becoming increasingly aware of where their food
comes from and want a closer
personal contact with it. A benefit of urban chickens would be
good, healthy, fresh eggs. Chickens roosting tend to be very
quiet, not noisy as some claim.
Leaf blowers can be much more
annoying. Chickens also eat
scraps, ticks and insects.
Schreifels: As health director for St. Cloud, she is familiar with animal complaints of
every description. Chickens in
cities where they are allowed in
yards do occasionally get loose
or are abandoned, requiring in
many cases someone to chase
down the chickens. The birds
can cause problems, including
noise and smell. They can lower
property values. Enforcing rules
would require time from city
officials, as well as expenses
through the taxpayers. There
are many ways to “connect”
with food sources, including via
farmers’ markets. The taxpayers
should not subsidize having to
deal with problems caused by
chicken hobbyists.
Arguments, rebuttals
Lindstrom: Property values
of homes would not go down.
The “abandoned chicken” argument is overstated.
Banaian: As is sometimes
said, “The right to your fist ends
at my face.” Chickens can become a nuisance in urban areas.
By having them, one abridges
the rights of one’s neighbors. A
chicken co-op outside of neighborhood areas is the way to go.
Schreifels: Raising chickens
is not the most efficient protein
source for food. By all means,
people should be in contact
with their food sources through
involvement with nature – gardens, farms and fishing. Chickens in backyards is not a good
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320.257.4673
Visit GriefShare.org
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
photo by Dennis Dalman
The debate participants included (front row) Jean Lavigne and
Matt Lindstrom, who argued in
favor of allowing chickens in
neighborhoods; and (back row,
left to right) Lisa Schreifels and
King Banaian, who opposed
allowing chickens in yards. At
right is Patty Candela, one of
the founders of the Sartell debate series.
way to do it when considering
the problems they could bring.
Lavigne: It’s good to interact with the animals near us.
Chickens are not pets or wild
animals. They are part of human history for thousands of
years.
Lindstrom: There are many
cities where raising chickens in
backyards has gone just fine.
Many cities, such as Maple
Grove, report no problems at
all. Many other cities report
one or two problems in a year’s
time. Studies of those cities
show they spend a minimal
amount of time enforcing rules.
Schreifels: Surveys were
done on the topic. Bloomington, for example, reported legal battles about the chickenin-yard issue. Sartell has no
animal-control officer, and the
police have to handle animal
complaints. Chickens could attract other unwanted animals
into yards. A chicken-in-yard
ordinance would soon get complex.
Audience comments:
Dogs can be nuisances too,
far more than chickens would
likely be.
Chickens can be noisy, in-
deed.
Will there be enough veterinarians in the area to deal with
any problems?
Don’t we have zoning codes
against this?
Summations:
Banaian: Chickens in yards
will violate neighbors’ rights and
lead to incivility. Chickens in
yards were OK in the old days.
In a modern urban environment,
they are not OK. There are perfectly good alternatives, such as
co-op chicken farms.
Lindstrom:
Opponents
should avoid their fear tactics.
This is about choice – wellregulated choice. The success
of chickens in yards has been
proven in other cities. It’s time
central Minnesota joins them.
Schreifels: People need not
be disconnected from animals
in an urban environment. We
do have zoning laws for a good
reason. Some chicken owners
do, in fact, let them go when
they lose interest in them. Then,
they often get hit by cars. No
one needs additional regulations
right now, more regulations that
will require money and time to
enforce.
Lavigne: There is no compelling evidence as to why chickens
are a problem. The number of
chickens in any given yard could
be limited. They wouldn’t reproduce as many cats and dogs do.
Chickens are easy to contain in
a coop. They are not a nuisance
and they are not threatening.
The benefits far outweigh any
possible drawbacks.
Audience opinion
Based on the pennies placed
in the trays after the debate, the
results showed the opposition
won the debate – that chickens should not be allowed in
urban yards. That is, compared
to the pennies added to the
trays before the debate, at the
end of the debate seven people
changed their minds from pro to
con, whereas only three changed
their minds from con to pro.
Sartell quilters donate quilts to Third World
by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Though it might be hard for
most Americans to realize, a
good quilt is so prized by impoverished people in Third World
countries it literally becomes a
coveted life-and-death object.
A quilt is often used for the
birth of a child, and that same
quilt – years later – can be used
as a “shroud” in which to wrap
someone who is deceased.
That’s why the Celebration
Lutheran Quilters Group in Sartell is so happy to give away the
quilts they make. They know
how each one is so valued and
so needed by grateful recipients
far and wide.
This coming week, the quilters
will bring 75 of their homemade
quilts to Lutheran World Relief,
based in St. Paul. From there,
they will be shipped to people in
the poorest of countries. Besides
birth and death, recipients use
the quilts to help keep children
warm, to keep items in or even
to keep sand from blowing into
faces during a raging sandstorm.
Last weekend, the quilters
draped the 75 quilts across the
backs of the pews at CelebraQuilters • page 7
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Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
6
Our View
First debate in Sartell
was resounding success
It’s to be hoped the interesting debate that
took place in Sartell City Hall Nov. 20 will not
prove to be an anomaly. (See related story in
today’s paper.)
The debate was the first of what organizers
hope will be an entire series of ongoing debates
every other month or so well into the future.
The debate was not a city-sponsored idea. It was
organized by a group of residents, some of the
them involved as professors at the College of St.
Benedict/St. John’s University.
The topic of that debate sounds facetious, at
first: “Be it resolved that chickens should be allowed to roost in residential areas?”
But, in fact, the debate was very interesting
and touched upon many of the ongoing questions
and conflicts in modern urban societies, such as:
At what point does your freedom impinge
upon someone else’s?
How can we best define what constitutes a
neighborhood nuisance?
Should any rural or agricultural-animal land
uses be allowed in urban neighborhoods?
How can people, so removed from their food
sources, establish familiar contacts with what
they eat?
There were two people debating in favor
of allowing chickens in urban areas, and two
arguing against it. The debate was expertly
moderated by Patty Candela of Sartell. About
70 people attended the debate, a very good turnout considering it was the first event of its kind.
Besides the issues thoughtfully discussed, there
were moments of humor, too. Both sides of the
debate made their points articulately, persuasively and passionately.
It was so refreshing to witness a good, lively,
civil debate – so unlike the mudslinging, nasty
verbal bouts indulged in by too many of today’s
brand of politicians. The audience, too, was civil
and keenly attentive to the points made by each
side.
Watching that debate was actually revelatory because it was an amazing reminder of the
“lost art” of rational, civil debate. It’s something
sorely lacking in our society these days – days
of hype, of shouting, of meaningless noise and
commotion. Even presidential debates can deteriorate into attack-mode exercises with both
sides playing loose with the “facts.”
The audience at Sartell City Hall clearly
enjoyed that hour-long debate. Their pleasure
was proof-positive of the hunger many have for
such civil and enlightened discourse. Their enthusiasm is a good omen that similar, excellent
debates will continue in Sartell.
Kudos to those who organized this series. We
encourage others to attend future debates. The
topics and dates will be announced, as they become known, in the Sartell Newsleader.
Fairness and ethics
Newsleader staff members have the responsibility to report news fairly and accurately and
are accountable to the public. Readers who feel
we’ve fallen short of these standards are urged
to call the Newsleader office at 363-7741.
If matters cannot be resolved locally, readers
are encouraged to take complaints to the Minnesota News Council, an independent agency
designed to improve relationships between the
public and the media and resolve conflicts. The
council office may be reached at 612-341-9357.
Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
Opinion
Hillbillies descend from hills everywhere
The other day, while channel-surfing,
I glimpsed a scene from that old series,
“The Beverly Hillbillies.”
I watched it for a few moments. It
reminded me vividly of how, once upon
a time, everyone in our neighborhood
would tune into that show every week,
without fail, and laugh our fool heads off.
That was then; this is now. Time has not
been kind to that series, so brimming with
its corn-pone humor.
Still, the scene I watched did amuse
me a bit because it reminded me of real
“hillbillies” I have known in my life.
Like the family from the wilds of Arkansas who moved into an apartment next
to mine in the 1970s. They loved to eat
jalapeno peppers, raw. They told me they
were surprised at the lack of outdoor
toilets in Minnesota. And one of the sons
burst over to my apartment one day to ask
me if I knew Paul McCartney used to be
in a band called The Beatles.
“No!” I said. “You gotta be kidding.”
“No kidding!” he said. “It said so just
now, right on the radio.”
They grew up in rural Arkansas, without any conveniences. They were fun
neighbors, and I still miss them.
When I was in grade school, Dad
would often take our family on Sunday
trips to some godforsaken place in the
boondocks of central Minnesota. One
of his good friends, a fellow musician,
lived there in an underground “basement
house,” as they were called. He and his
nearly toothless wife had a swarm of kids
(13 of them!) who would swirl around
our Studebaker like happy savages when
we pulled up to their weedy lot. The littlest kids, drooling and grinning, waddled
Dennis
Dalman
Editor
around diaperless. Piles of garbage were
stacked by the tar-paper top of their “buried house.” My brothers and I had a lot
of fun playing outdoor games with those
kids, but we had to hide our chuckles
about their hillbilly ways.
Queen Elizabeth II of England is – or
at least was – a big fan of “The Beverly
Hillbillies” show. I heard that when I was
studying in London 33 years ago. I used
to imagine her watching that show and
laughing at her crude American “cousins,” that nation of colonial upstart hillbillies who made the mistake of overthrowing the British king.
But I would always laugh with vengeance when I’d think of all the English
“hillbillies” I’d see in the streets of London, the rabble mixed in among dapper
gents with pinstriped suits, bowler hats
and umbrellas. I even met English-style
hillbillies in a concert hall. One evening I attended a performance of Richard
Strauss’ “An Alpine Symphony” at Royal
Festival Hall.
As the orchestra tuned up, there was a
commotion to my right. A bumpkin family – an older couple and their Li’l Abner
sons – were scuffling, bickering over
where they were going to sit. The parents
looked, for all the world, like Ma and Pa
Kettle blown in from the Ozarks. The two
“growed-up” sons looked like giant hulks
of dim creation who fisticuffed each other
and laughed like braying mules.
The symphony began; heads in the
audience turned, perturbed by the noise.
I surmised the family was down from
north England to take in a little culture in
the big city. They sat down next to me, the
Pa to my right.
“This is gonna be a loud one,” he said
to me. “They got one of them wind machines down there.”
During the performance, Pa played
with his fingers and slurped noisily on
peppermints. He chattered to his wife,
who riffled through the program.
One of the strapping sons began waving his arms, furiously “conducting” as
he aped the orchestra conductor. His twin
mountain of insensibility just sat there,
his jaw agape in a kind of thunderous
stupor, as if struck by lightning.
Faces in the rows ahead kept turning
around, hissing like snakes.
“Ssssh!” I whispered to the family.
The wife, her budget feathers ruffled,
gave me a dirty look and stuck her beak
in the air.
When the symphony came to an end,
Pa turned to me and said, “That sure was
noisy!”
I felt like saying, “Yes, you sure were.”
As they left the lobby, the sons were
punching each other and guffawing about
the “dull” music.
Every time I hear the word “hillbillies,” I see that family as vividly as yesterday. They are an example of hillbillies
as a universal phenomenon, not restricted
to the American South but descended
from remote hills everywhere.
From the Bench:
Are all drunk-driving convictions now invalid?
“Judge, is it true that all drunk driving
convictions are now invalid?”
I was recently asked that question,
which was prompted by a recent decision
of the U.S. Supreme Court that got media
attention. In State of Missouri v. McNeely, the Supreme Court decided last
April the Fourth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution requires, in the absence of
“exigent circumstances,” a search warrant be obtained to authorize the drawing of a blood sample from an impaired
driving suspect who has refused to take
such a test. The sample is usually drawn
as possible evidence of blood-alcohol
content in a DWI prosecution.
This actually is not a new legal development. In Schmerber v. California,
decided in 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court
upheld a warrantless blood test of an
individual arrested for driving under the
influence of alcohol because of a reasonable belief by the law-enforcement
officer that any delay to get a search warrant would have resulted in the loss or
destruction of evidence. The Schmerber
case created an “exigent circumstance,”
an emergency exemption to the Fourth
Amendment requirement that law enforcement authorities obtain a search
warrant in the face of someone refusing
to allow the search.
This exception to the Fourth Amendment got expanded throughout the years
to the point where some states were
claiming no search warrant was necessary for law enforcement to obtain a
blood-alcohol test from a DWI suspect.
From the Bench
Frank Kundrat
District Court Judge
In fact, the State of Missouri argued in
the McNeely case that since alcohol dissipates quickly in the blood system, there
is too little time for a law-enforcement
officer to get a search warrant to collect
a BAC sample from a DWI suspect, and
all blood BAC tests should be exempted
from the search-warrant process.
The U.S. Supreme Court found the
lack of time or some other emergency
might excuse the need in some situations to get a search warrant, but not
all. In McNeely, the record showed the
police had ample time to call a judge to
get a search warrant prior to the end of a
two-hour test window for DWI charges.
However, the police did not take any
steps to get a search warrant after the
driver refused the blood test. The Supreme Court ultimately decided in McNeely that since the police had enough
time in that specific instance to obtain
a search warrant from a judge, the warrantless BAC test was illegally obtained
in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
That made the test results inadmissible as
evidence in the subsequent prosecution
of the driver for a DWI violation.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently sent
a Minnesota case back to the state courts
for reconsideration in light of the McNeely decision. Minnesota makes it a
crime for a driver to refuse to submit to a
chemical test for blood-alcohol content.
The U.S. Supreme Court has given a
strong signal that such a law may be unconstitutional in that it puts undue duress
on a person in forcing that person to give
up a constitutionally protected right (a
search warrant) under the threat of being charged with a crime. The issue thus
arises as to whether warrantless blood,
breath or urine BAC tests taken from
defendant-drivers were legally obtained.
This is important to the admissibility of
the BAC test results as evidence in a
DWI prosecution.
The Minnesota Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments in mid-September
for the case in question, State v. Brooks.
As a result, many hundreds of DWI cases
are backing up on our busy state court
calendars, awaiting the outcome of the
Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision in
Brooks. At last count, I had 45 such cases
on my docket.
While constitutional issues and potential changes may be swirling around the
DWI laws of Minnesota, one principle of
law remains very clear: it’s still illegal to
be driving under the influence of alcohol,
drugs or other substances in Minnesota.
That will not change.
Frank Kundrat is a District Court
Judge chambered in St. Cloud. He welcomes your comments as directed to the
editor of this newspaper.
Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
Community Calendar
Friday, Nov. 29
Blood drive, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.,
American Red Cross, 1301 W. St..
Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767. (Complimentary T-shirt for
presenting donors, while supplies
last.)
Saturday, Nov. 30
“Christmas with the Lindberghs: 1918,” 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
costumed characters portray family members and hired workers
readying the house for Christmas,
Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site,
1620 Lindbergh Drive, Little Falls.
320-616-5421
Monday, Dec. 2
Sartell Lions Club, 7 p.m.,
upstairs of Blue Line Sports Bar
andGrill, 1101 2nd St. S., Sartell.
248-3240.
Tuesday, Dec. 3
Blood drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
American Red Cross, 1301 W. St..
Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767.
Forever Fit, a senior fitness
class, 1:30 p.m., exercise for older
adults adaptable for all fitness levels. Church of St. Joseph Parish
Center, St. Joseph. 320-363-4588.
Blood drive, 1-7 p.m., Atonement Lutheran Church, 1144 29th
Ave. N., St. Cloud. 1-800-733-
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FARMI 3pt. logging winches.
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Blood drive, 1-7 p.m., St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 2405 1st
St. N., St. Cloud. 1-800-733-2767.
Wednesday, Dec. 4
“The Creation of NGATHA International,” Women on Wednesday series, noon-1 p.m., the National Global Association for Thrift
and Humanitarian Aid was established by SCSU professor Mumbi
Mwangi to reduce the suffering of
orphans in Kenya due to the AIDS
epidemic.Atwood Memorial Center
Theater, St. Cloud State University.
Harpist Andrea Stern concert,
2-3:30 p.m., Al Ringsmuth Public
Library, 253 5th Ave. N., Waite
Park, 320-253-9359.
St. Stephen City Council, 7
p.m., City Hall. 251-0964.
Thursday, Dec. 5
Coffee and Conversation, a
senior discussion group, 9 a.m.,
Country Manor, Sartell.
Senior Fitness Class, noon, exercise for older adults adaptable
for all fitness levels. Church of St.
Joseph Parish Center, St. Joseph.
320-363-4588.
Blood drive, noon-6 p.m.,
American Red Cross, 1301 W. St..
Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767.
Festival of Lights, 6-8 p.m.,
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holiday carols, Santa and Mrs.
Claus, reindeer. Front of the St.
Cloud Hospital, 1406 6th Ave. N.,
St. Cloud.
Great River Regional Coin
Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Miller Auto
Marine Sports Plaza, 2930 2nd St.
S., St. Cloud.
Friday, Dec. 6
Blood drive, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.,
American Red Cross, 1301 W. St..
Germain St., St. Cloud. 1-800-7332767.
“The Aging Brain,” 9:30-11
a.m., information related to normal aging versus not normal aging,
discussion includes depression and
dementia. Church of St. Joseph,
Heritage Hall, 12 W. Minnesota St.,
St. Joseph.
Post-Polio Support and Education Group, 10:30 a.m.-noon,
lunch and evalutation of the year,
Ace Bar & Grill, 423 St. Germain
St. E., St. Cloud.
“Encounters in the Republic
of Heaven…all the colours of
speech…,” eight-channel surround
sound opera in four acts, noon, free
and open to the public, room 158,
Performing Arts Center, St. Cloud
State University, 320-308-3291.
St. Joseph Farmers’ Market,
3-6 p.m., Resurrection Lutheran
Church, 610 CR 2 N., St. Joseph.
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Freelancers
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The Newsleaders seeks
freelance writers and photographers to cover town-specific
events/meetings/personalities. Freelancers are paid per
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please email a resume and a
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janellev@thenewsleaders.com.
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7
Quilters
from page 5
tion Lutheran Church in Sartell, creating a blaze of brilliant
patchwork colors throughout the
church.
Every year, the congregation
enjoys seeing the riot of cheerful colors when they enter the
church for services.
All of the quilts are a bit
smaller than standard twin size,
said Jan Farley, one of the 10
quilting ladies in the group.
The women do their quilting
throughout the year at Celebration, of which all are members.
For eight years, they’ve been
making the quilts – 75 to 100
of them each year – and all are
donated through Lutheran World
Relief.
All of the quilts are patchwork quilts, with inside linings.
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ADVERTISING
The materials for the quilts are
all donated by individuals from
scraps or bolts of cloth they find
in their homes or in the basements, attics or storerooms of
relatives when those relatives
pass on or enter nursing homes.
In some cases, huge quantities
of material or yarn are donated
simply because the donors have
no room to store them or because they have abandoned their
sewing or quilting hobbies.
Generally, the quilters do not
use patterns for the quilts, but
for each one they try to coordinate colors in combinations of
attractive colors and patterns,
based on the materials they have
on hand.
In 1990, Farley and a friend
of hers took a Sartell-St. Stephen
Community Education class on
quilting. They both enjoyed it so
much they made a quilt together
and then kept quilting from then
Quilters • page 8
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Allie is a beautiful red-and-white spayed Lab
and Boxer mix. She is 2-years-old, housetrained
and knows basic commands. She’s done well
playing and interacting with older children, but
can be a little too rambunctious for smaller kids.
Allie seems to be selective in which dogs she
likes, usually preferring large dogs more than
little ones. Need a walking partner or a Frisbee
pal? Allie is very enthusiastic about going on
her walks as well as playing Frisbee. If an
affectionate, loving and energetic dog fits your
lifestyle, take a look at Allie.
“Helping one animal won’t change
the world … but it will change the
world for that one animal!”
Dogs - 15
Guinea Pig - 1
Fancy Mouse - 1
Cats - 31
Kittens - 42
Rabbits - 8
Gerbils - 6
Tri-County
Humane Society
735 8th St. NE • PO Box 701
St. Cloud, MN 56302
252-0896
www.tricountyhumanesociety.org
Hours: Monday-Thursday Noon-6 p.m., Friday Noon-8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. & Sunday Noon-5 p.m.
Sartell Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
8
AFTER THANKSGIVING
WEEKEND SALE
Friday-Sunday, Nov. 29-Dec. 1 ONLY!
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Friday, Nov. 29, 2013
photo by Dennis Dalman
Rosemary Winch (left) and
Jan Farley check out a quilt
made by their group, the
Celebration Lutheran Quilters Group. The 75 quilts
they’ve made during the
past year will all be donated
through World Lutheran Relief to needy people in Third
World countries. As this photo shows, all of the quilts are
traditionally shown once a
year draped over the pews at
Celebration Lutheran Church
in Sartell.
Quilters
from page 7
on. Farley’s daughter, Jolaine
Schreifels of Kimball, is also an
excellent quilter and even owns
a long-arm quilting machine.
Farley generally cuts out all
of the square patches for the
quilting group.
The Celebration Quilters
Group is always seeking more
materials. Those who want to
donate can bring them to the
church or make a check donation at the church.
The other members of the
quilting group, besides Farley,
are Judy Fiene, Lori Flom, Elaine
Hagen, Jackie Lundstrom, Linda Orman, Vonnie Ottem, Diane
Weber-Grand, Rosemary Winch
and Carol Ann Zika.